Partnership and growth 2015: this was the motto of last week’s Opel Dealer’s Day in the Congress Center at the trade show grounds in Frankfurt that takes place once a year for Opel dealers and colleagues. In addition to the ADAM S and KARL, the new Corsa OPC made an appearance – first official photos will be published on Wednesday. Marketing Director Andreas Marx announced a somewhat different highlight of the day: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, he is there when you need him, please join me in welcoming the Borussia Dortmund coach and Opel brand ambassador Jürgen Klopp”. Kloppo – as his fans lovingly call him – jogs past the rows of seats from the back of the hall. Cool as always in a white shirt, blue sweater, jeans and grey tennis shoes. Grinning, he stands next to Andreas Marx and doesn’t make the crowd wait for a flash of his legendary humor: “Andreas, when you introduced me in the past, you always said ‘Dortmund’s successful coach…’” He immediately has the hall filled with laughter.
His good mood is infectious: Jürgen Klopp at Opel Dealer’s Day in the Congress Center at the trade show grounds in Frankfurt.
Asked about how he is doing, the coach who up until last season was wildly successful gets right to the point. The last year was “definitely not subject to entertainment tax”. Klopp tells the audience about injured players, preparation for the World Cup that occupied some of the players from his team and other challenges posed by soccer life. He added that Borussia is a club of extremes and that preparations for the second half of the season have gone very well to now. And that extreme situations result in a more focused concentration on what is essential.
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Thank you for the minutes that I was able to spend here with you!
Jürgen Klopp,
Borussia Dortmund coach and
Opel brand ambassador
What is essential – professionally – for Klopp is the club, the players and Opel, and this comes across in everything he does. So he is very optimistic about the second half of the season. To the dealers, Klopp says “Under normal circumstances, I would probably have a lot of time for Opel today, because I wouldn’t be the coach anymore at a lot of other places. But the club believes in me. I think it’s cool that I’m still there. It’s great that the club is seeing this through with me.” Andreas Marx calls that maximum responsibility and is pleased that in 2014 Jürgen Klopp again played his part in bringing Opel back on track.
So, who’s the star here? Andreas Marx, Opel brand ambassador Jürgen Klopp and ADAM S on stage.
Opel is an affair of the heart for Klopp. Because as he emphasizes, it’s fun for him, it’s not work. “To see in this phase that you have partners who don’t waver at all is really great. I hope that both you and I have a successful year. Thank you for the minutes that I was able to spend here with you,” he says and leaves, waving and grinning, on his way to the afternoon training session in Dortmund to take care of the other essential part of his life again.
Opel Post: Mr. Klopp, what car do you currently drive?
Jürgen Klopp: Insignia OPC Sports Tourer, matte black, awesome.
Opel Post: What do you like the best about it?
Jürgen Klopp: The sport seats are fantastic, the brakes are top, the engine is powerful, and it’s also really comfortable.
Opel Post: And the 325 hp?
Jürgen Klopp: I don’t need that very often. I drive my Insignia defensively and make do with a bit more than11 liters per 100 kilometers.
Opel Post: What does your car of the future have to be able to do?
Jürgen Klopp: Not such unbelievable things. I love a lot of room in a car, that will stay the same in the future. So I could imagine really liking a big Opel SUV. What I don’t need is for instance automated driving. I love driving myself. Maybe I’ll change my mind about this someday, but not in the next 40 years.